How to Cook Basmati Rice

Let's learn how to cook perfectly fluffy,and airy Basmati rice every time! Basmati rice hails from the Himalayan region in India, which is long grained, aged and less starchy variety of rice.This type of rice, is used to make khichdi, biryanis, pulao, and serve it with the side of curries.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Indian

Keyword: Basics, Cooking Basics, Easy Rice Recipes, Rice Recipes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Servings: Servings

Calories: 232kcal

Author: Aayushi Patel

Equipment

1 Cooking Pot

Ingredients

1 Cup Basmati Rice
2 Cups Water
1 Teaspoon Salt

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Instructions

You must always start by washing the rice until the water runs clear. This will help to take out the starch and impurities of rice and make it ready for cooking.
Soaking the rice for 10 minutes before cooking helps it cook faster and fluffier. Hence, I like to soak the rice for 10-15 minutes and drain the water.
Add the drained rice to the pot. We are using 1 cup of Basmati Long Grain rice, so for this, we will need 2 cups of water to cook the rice.
Bring the water to a boil, without covering the pot.
When the water starts to boil, cover the cooking pot with a tight lid, so the steam doesn't escape. You will want to let the rice cook on low flame without opening the lid.
This takes about 8-10 minutes for the rice to completely cook. Once it sounds dry, turn off the flame. Now let it rest untouched with the lid covered for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes open the lid, and fluff the fork gently with either a fork or a silicon spatula
The rice is ready to serve. You can add a dollop of either ghee or butter, some finely chopped cilantro or bloomed saffron before serving.

Notes

If you are using Basmati rice from your local grocery store, you want to check the cooking instructions written on the back of the packaging If you buy a California brand of basmati rice, you will need 1: 1.75 cups of rice to water ratio. This rice is less starchy than Basmati rice grown in India and can get waterlogged since it is not aged, so soaking is not required either.

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